The Parrish Community Bulls will square off against the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Parrish Community is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Parrish Community is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They walked away with a 6-1 win over Lennard.
Emmaline Van Beck
| 04/29/25 vs Lennard | 11 |
| 04/22/25 vs Montverde Academy | 5 |
| 04/15/25 vs Sarasota | 9 |
| 04/04/25 vs North Fort Myers | 10 |
| 03/29/25 vs Crystal River | 16 |
Emmaline Van Beck looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March.
On the hitting side, Jersie Rohde and Baylee Fields did most of the damage at the plate: Rohde went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI, while Fields went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run. That's the most stolen bases Rohde has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Palmetto. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
The result came thanks to Lexi Meneely's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Lakewood Ranch's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Bella Toscano, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Parrish Community is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Lakewood Ranch, they moved to 13-11 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Parrish Community hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .367. However, it's not like Lakewood Ranch struggles in that department as they've averaged .329. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Parrish Community took their win against Lakewood Ranch in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 12-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulls since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
